Seltzer’s Notebook: Landry Shares Thoughts on Leadership

Youth is a trait that’s come to define Brett Brown’s teams during his three-year stint in Philadelphia, particularly the past two seasons, when the 76ers have opened each campaign with the youngest roster in the NBA.  While the Sixers have prioritized the development of up-and-coming prospects under Brown, he and the organization have also acknowledged the importance of obtaining veterans to help bring along less experienced players.Last year, Luc Mbah-a-Moute, then in his seventh professional season, and Jason Richardson, in his 14th, were leaned upon to provide mentorship.  This season, in a perfect world free of injuries and rehab assignments, such responsibilities would have immediately fallen to the trio of Carl Landry, Kendall Marshall, and Tony Wroten, who entered training camp having logged nearly 750 combined appearances in the league.  All three players, however, were hurt for a majority of  the fall.  Marshall and Wroten only returned from their respective right knee ACL tears two and a half weeks ago, while Landry was just given the go-ahead for game participation this past Wednesday, when the Sixers were in Milwaukee, his hometown.  Cleared to compete, Landry is ready and willing to lend whatever wisdom he can give the Sixers’ relatively green group.  He’s entering his ninth NBA season, having initially broken in with the Houston Rockets.”It’s fine.  I’m alright with it,” Landry said about assuming leadership duties.  “One day, I was young, and I looked up to older guys, Dikembe Mutombo, Steve Francis, Shane Battier.  They really didn’t have to say much, but just their presence every day being around them, I was just a sponge.  I soaked up as much as I could.  It definitely carried over, and helped me further my career.”Following a run in Houston that lasted parts of four seasons, Landry went to Sacramento for the first of two separate stints with the Kings, the second of which came to an end this summer, when the Sixers acquired Landry via trade.  In between, Landry latched on with New Orleans and Golden State.  He’s produced a steady career box line, manufacturing 10.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game.Landry expects that his words and actions will begin to resonate more strongly now that he’s actually back out on the court.”It feels different,” Landry observed.  “Sometimes when you’re injured, you’re just isolated.  You don’t feel involved.  Most guys that play this game understand.  You kind of just feel uninvolved.  It definitely feels good to back with this team, watch film with them again on an everyday basis in practice, and travel, it definitely feels good.  So I feel a part now, I’m ready to move forward.”Against the Bucks on Wednesday, Landry came off the bench to play 13 minutes.  He posted 10 points behind a six-for-eight showing from the free throw line, and also nabbed five rebounds.  The 32-year old competed with energy, and brought a welcomed degree of matured muscle to the Sixers’ line-up. Brett Brown was pleased with Landry’s production, and the intangibles he offered, saying, “I thought Carl Landry coming in was a veteran NBA player.  There’s a man, a veteran NBA player.  That is a physical presence.” In discussing the potential influence he could have on the Sixers, Landry said he won’t try to force the issue.  Instead, he simply plans to conduct himself with the professionalism that he’s carried with him throughout his time in the NBA. “I think leaders are born,” stated Landry on Wednesday while sitting in the visitors’ lockerroom of the BMO Harris Bradley Center.  “I’m saying that just, you can’t give somebody a title.  It would be like [to reporters], you’re not working for the media today, you’re a doctor.  You can’t give somebody a job or a title.  It just doesn’t happen.  If I’m a leader, and that’s the way they want to look at me, I’m a leader.  You kind of have to be a leader to play in this league a decade.  Not by title, but maybe by example.    I don’t feel like you should give somebody that title, you just kind of are already.”